Friday, August 27, 2010
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Site Re-Launch!
I am still working on redesigning DorothyBaez.com. The backbone of the site is going to be the blog, along with supporting pages and other links.
I decided on organizing the new site this way so that it will better reflect my interests, plus I will have more flexibility to promote my ventures. I do so many different things, and I don't want to limit myself creatively. I am also still working on Family Advocacy issues - at this point writing a training manual for Family Advocates. I have been at work on this manual for the past 4 years and hope to release it by Spring 2011.
Please feel free to take a look at two of my other ventures while you're waiting:
La Mano Poderosa Botanica
Weird Legal News - re-opening soon!
I decided on organizing the new site this way so that it will better reflect my interests, plus I will have more flexibility to promote my ventures. I do so many different things, and I don't want to limit myself creatively. I am also still working on Family Advocacy issues - at this point writing a training manual for Family Advocates. I have been at work on this manual for the past 4 years and hope to release it by Spring 2011.
Please feel free to take a look at two of my other ventures while you're waiting:
La Mano Poderosa Botanica
Weird Legal News - re-opening soon!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Douchebag of the Week - Tom Conroy
I first heard of Mireya Mayor when she was in an awesome series called "Expedition Africa," Being a history buff, I couldn't wait for this show to air. It was amazing! I highly suggest watching this series on video if you can! Not too long after that, I came across Mireya on Twitter and decided she would be fun to follow. She is entertaining, a fountain of knowledge, and a good person besides.
I was really looking forward to watching "Wild Nights," which is Mireya's new series for National Geographic's new Wild cable station. In the meantime (I wasn't able to watch until the midnight showing.) I saw Jes Alexander's OP ED on Herald de Paris, which she wrote after Tom Conroy completely freaking skewered Mireya in an article that can only be described as a sexist rant written by a man who shrinks into a corner when confronted by a beautiful woman - even one he only sees on T.V. (Conroy seems to pursue his writing career by making what he thinks is snarky fun of whoever he is writing about. Note to Tom - this only ever works if you are actually funny. You are not.)
Poor Tom even makes fun of Mireya for dressing appropriately - "But throughout the show she wears a wool cap and drab clothes that just beg us to take her seriously" Um, no dumbass, she dresses for the job she's doing - and she looks great. And by the way, I've seen more wildlife in urban areas than in the woods. Sorry you're too scared of the boogey man to go outside at night.
So without further ado, for your consistently ridiculous prose, your mean streak, your bad attitude, etc. You sir, are a douchebag.
I was really looking forward to watching "Wild Nights," which is Mireya's new series for National Geographic's new Wild cable station. In the meantime (I wasn't able to watch until the midnight showing.) I saw Jes Alexander's OP ED on Herald de Paris, which she wrote after Tom Conroy completely freaking skewered Mireya in an article that can only be described as a sexist rant written by a man who shrinks into a corner when confronted by a beautiful woman - even one he only sees on T.V. (Conroy seems to pursue his writing career by making what he thinks is snarky fun of whoever he is writing about. Note to Tom - this only ever works if you are actually funny. You are not.)
Poor Tom even makes fun of Mireya for dressing appropriately - "But throughout the show she wears a wool cap and drab clothes that just beg us to take her seriously" Um, no dumbass, she dresses for the job she's doing - and she looks great. And by the way, I've seen more wildlife in urban areas than in the woods. Sorry you're too scared of the boogey man to go outside at night.
So without further ado, for your consistently ridiculous prose, your mean streak, your bad attitude, etc. You sir, are a douchebag.
Friday, August 06, 2010
Immigration and Amnesty and Racism, Oh, My!
I have just finished re-reading "Infidel," written by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a Somali born Dutch politician who now lives in the United States and works for the American Enterprise Institute.
Whew, what a mouthful. I used to be one of those people who scoffed at "hyphenated Americans, Canadians - or Somali-Dutch or whatever" but seriously, we are going to keep referring to people's backgrounds and other attributes in conversations. For the most part (the only exception are the Native Americans) we all hail from somewhere else. It is just human nature to want to place people and objects in categories. Doing so is not necessarily discrimination. Making assumptions is also human nature - sometimes seriously bad manners, but human nature nonetheless. It's also human nature to want to express ourselves. Part of that self expression can include how we self identify.
Assumptions can be maddening - like when my New York born Puerto Rican husband was constantly stopped and harassed by police in Athens, Georgia - police who demanded his "Green Card" (they aren't actually green, but I digress) and sometimes threatened him with arrest when he tried to explain that Puerto Rico is part of the United States.
Assumptions can be amusing - like when I once upon a time went to pick up my African-American/Puerto Rican niece from school. The teacher said, "Aryanna, your aunt's here for you!" Another little girl piped up, "That can't be your aunt! She's the wrong color!" Aryanna's response? "She can't help it that she's pink and not brown!"
We have some major ethnic diversity in our family, so we have lots of jokes and stories to laugh at. We also have stories after stories about awkward or just plain bizarre happenings. Some are funny ...and some are creepy.
Arizona has gotten a lot of attention lately. Okay, that's an understatement. Arizona's recent law dealing with immigration issues has been extremely controversial. There are so many different aspects of immigration issues, and there are as many ways to look at it. Below is the full text of Arizona's law. Read it for yourself. Decide what you think of it. I'll post my own analysis very soon.
Whew, what a mouthful. I used to be one of those people who scoffed at "hyphenated Americans, Canadians - or Somali-Dutch or whatever" but seriously, we are going to keep referring to people's backgrounds and other attributes in conversations. For the most part (the only exception are the Native Americans) we all hail from somewhere else. It is just human nature to want to place people and objects in categories. Doing so is not necessarily discrimination. Making assumptions is also human nature - sometimes seriously bad manners, but human nature nonetheless. It's also human nature to want to express ourselves. Part of that self expression can include how we self identify.
Assumptions can be maddening - like when my New York born Puerto Rican husband was constantly stopped and harassed by police in Athens, Georgia - police who demanded his "Green Card" (they aren't actually green, but I digress) and sometimes threatened him with arrest when he tried to explain that Puerto Rico is part of the United States.
Assumptions can be amusing - like when I once upon a time went to pick up my African-American/Puerto Rican niece from school. The teacher said, "Aryanna, your aunt's here for you!" Another little girl piped up, "That can't be your aunt! She's the wrong color!" Aryanna's response? "She can't help it that she's pink and not brown!"
We have some major ethnic diversity in our family, so we have lots of jokes and stories to laugh at. We also have stories after stories about awkward or just plain bizarre happenings. Some are funny ...and some are creepy.
Arizona has gotten a lot of attention lately. Okay, that's an understatement. Arizona's recent law dealing with immigration issues has been extremely controversial. There are so many different aspects of immigration issues, and there are as many ways to look at it. Below is the full text of Arizona's law. Read it for yourself. Decide what you think of it. I'll post my own analysis very soon.
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